Nail clip and system for use in nail polish removal

ABSTRACT

A nail clip includes a base, a top, and a spring element. The base defines a bed, a first finger grip coupled to the bed, opposing slotted posts coupled to the base and extending therefrom where the bed meets the first finger grip, and a ramp disposed in the bed. The top defines a cap, a second finger grip coupled to the cap, and opposing support posts coupled to the cap and extending therefrom where the cap meets the second finger grip. Each support post includes a hinge pin extending therefrom for engagement with one of the base&#39;s slotted posts. The spring element is disposed between the base and the cap for biasing the first finger grip away from the second finger grip.

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119, the benefit of priority from provisionalapplication 61/851,309, with a filing date of Mar. 5, 2013, is claimedfor this non-provisional application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to apparatus for use in the removal ofnail polish, and more particularly to a nail clip and system thatfacilitates the removal of a variety of types of nail polish/art fromfinger nails or toe nails.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Decorating one's fingernails and toenails has advanced beyond the use ofnatural coloring products (e.g., beeswax, egg whites, gelatin, vegetabledyes, and gum arabic) first introduced in ancient China. Today's nailpolishes are essentially refined versions of vehicle paint designed toresist cracking and flaking once applied to a nail. These polishes arecomplex chemical compounds that are available in a wide variety ofcolors/finishes and can include decorative additives. Other types ofdecorations include those that are three-dimensional and applied to abase layer of polish. Another popular polish is a gel polish that iscured under ultraviolet (UV) or light emitting diode (LED) lighting withthe resulting nail product being hard and long lasting.

Like any item of fashion, fingernail and toenail polishes/decorationsare changed with some frequency. Old polishes are removed with achemical product that typically includes acetone or is pure acetone. Toremove longer-lasting gel polishes, polishes with decorativeadditives/adornments, and/or nail-applied decorations, achemically-based nail polish remover needs to be in contact with thepolish/art for some period of time (e.g., typically ten or more minutes)in order to be effective. However, acetone and acetone-based productscan be harsh on one's skin. Accordingly, soaking one's fingers/toes in abowl of acetone is not recommended. Typically, removal-resistantpolishes are removed by positioning a polish-remover-soaked pad on anail and then using tape or foil to hold the pad in place. This approachis messy, time consuming, difficult to do by oneself, and generates alot of waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anapparatus that simplifies nail polish/art removal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus thatreduces the time it takes to remove long-lasting nail polish from anail.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatusthat facilitates the placement of nail polish remover on a nail.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become moreobvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, a nail clip includes a base, atop, and a spring element. The base defines an arcuately-shaped bed, afirst finger grip coupled to the bed, opposing slotted posts coupled tothe base and extending therefrom where the bed meets the first fingergrip, and a ramp disposed in the bed. The ramp extends from an outboardend of the bed to the first finger grip. The ramp increases in thicknesswith distance from bed's outboard end. The top defines anarcuately-shaped cap, a second finger grip coupled to the cap, andopposing support posts coupled to the cap and extending therefrom wherethe cap meets the second finger grip. Each of the support posts includesa hinge pin extending therefrom for engagement with one of the base'sslotted posts such that the base and cap can be moved towards and awayfrom one another. The spring element is disposed between the base andthe cap for biasing the first finger grip away from the second fingergrip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent upon reference to the following description of thepreferred embodiments and to the drawings, wherein correspondingreference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings and wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view from the grip end of a nail clip inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the nail clip from the open endthereof;

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the nail clip from the undersidethereof;

FIG. 1D is a top view of the nail clip;

FIG. 1E is a side view of the nail clip;

FIG. 1F is a bottom view of the nail clip;

FIG. 1G is an end view of the nail clip from the open end thereof;

FIG. 1H is an isolated side view of the base of the nail clip;

FIG. 1I is a cross-sectional view of the base of the nail clip;

FIG. 1J is an isolated end view of the top of the nail clip;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an absorptive pad for use with the nailclip in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of an absorptive pad incorporated into asleeve in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a side view of a nail clip in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is an end view of the nail clip in FIG. 3A as viewed from theopen end thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, simultaneous reference will be made toFIGS. 1A-1J where a nail clip in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention is shown and is referenced generally by numeral 10.Nail clip 10 will be used in combination with a “pad” (not shown) suchas a cotton ball or tuft of cotton, gauze, tissue, or aspecifically-designed pad (as will be described later herein) that hasabsorbed a suitable quantity of nail polish remover such as acetone. Asis known in the art, acetone facilitates the removal of nail polishes toinclude UV-hardened and LED-hardened gels. Nail clip 10 simplifies thepositioning and holding of such a pad against a nail (i.e., fingernailor toenail), and also reduces the amount of time that such a pad needsto be in place to effectively remove hard-cure nail polish.

Nail clip 10 can be used on any finger or toe. While one size of nailclip 10 will suffice for the vast majority of fingers or toes,smaller/larger sizes of nail clip 10 could be provided to handlesmaller/larger digits. In addition, nail clip 10 could be modifiedslightly for use with shorter toes as will be described later herein.

Nail clip 10 includes three main elements that are assembled prior touse. The three elements are a base 20, a top 40, and a spring element60. Briefly, base 20 and top 40 are coupled to one another in a hingedfashion and spring element 60 biases base 20 and top 40 toward oneanother as shown. All three elements are made from material(s) that arereadily sanitized after each use. In this way, nail clip 10 can be usedmultiple times thereby reducing waste. By way of example, base 20 andtop 40 can be made from a plastic or polymer, and spring element 60 canbe a metal. Base 20 and/or top 40 can be monolithic structuresincorporating all of the features to be described herein.

Base 20 (shown in isolation in FIGS. 1H and 1I) includes an elongate andarcuately-shaped bed 22 that will receive/contact the underside of afinger or toe. The bow or arcuate shape of bed 22 is defined between itslateral edges 22A/22B as best seen in FIGS. 1F and 1G. A finger grip 24is coupled to and integrated with bed 22. Opposing posts 26 (as bestseen in FIGS. 1G and 1H) extend upward from base 20 and are located atthe juncture of bed 22 and finger grip 24. Each of posts 26 has a slot28 formed there through. Each post 26 with its slot 28 forms part of ahinge between base 20 and top 40. Bed 22 can incorporate a ramp 30 (FIG.1I) that increases in thickness “T” as it extends inward from theoutboard end 22E of base 22. Ramp 30 can increase in thickness in alinear fashion as shown. Ramp 30 guides the tip of a finger/toe placedon ramp 30 up towards top 40.

Top 40 includes an elongate and accurately-shaped solid cap region 42that will cover the nail region of a finger/toe placed on bed 22/ramp30. The bow or arcuate shape of cap region 42 is defined between itslateral edges 42A/42B as best seen in FIGS. 1C and 1G. As will beexplained further below, cap region 42 also holds anail-polish-remover-soaked pad (not shown) securely in place on the nailof the finger/toe. A finger grip 44 is coupled to and integrated withtop 40. Opposing posts 46 (as best seen in FIGS. 1C, 1G and 1J) extenddownward from top 40 and are located at the juncture of cap region 42and finger grip 44. Each of posts 46 incorporates a hinge pin 48designed to engage a respective one of slots 28 formed in posts 26. As aresult, base 20 and top 40 can be moved towards and away from oneanother. The relevance of this feature will be explained later herein inan operational description of the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the length of bed 22 is longer than thelength of cap region 42 such that a portion of ramp 30 is exposed asbest seen in FIGS. 1B and 1D. More specifically, the outboard end 22E ofbase 22 extends beyond the outboard end 42E of cap region 42 as bestseen in FIGS. 1D and 1E. By virtue of this structure, nail clip 10 canaccommodate longer nails while bed 22 still provides underside supportof the finger/toe.

Spring element 60 is any type of spring device that biases cap region 42and bed 22 towards one another. In the illustrated embodiment, springelement 60 is a single piece of spring material shaped to form a leafspring coupled to finger grips 24 and 44. Such coupling can be achievedby providing holes 62 at either end of spring element 60 where holes 62engage posts 24A and 44A formed on the inward facing portions of fingergrips 24 and 44, respectively. It is to be understood that other typesof springs (e.g., coil, torsion, compression, etc.) could be usedwithout departing from the scope of the present invention. Springelement 60 biases base 22 and cap region 42 towards one another whenhinge pins 48 are engaged in slots 28.

Cap region 42 is sized such that lateral edges 42A/42B extend outside ofand past lateral edges 22A/22B of bed 22 when nail clip 10 is in itsclosed position. In other words, the distance between lateral edges42A/42B is greater than the distance between lateral edges 22A/22B. Inthis way, cap region 42 will fully cover a digit's nail while capturinga nail-polish-remover-soaked pad (not shown) against a nail. The solidnature of cap region 42 retains heat generated during the reaction ofnail polish remover with the nail polish to be removed. The retainedheat accelerates the reaction thereby reducing the amount of time thatis required to remove nail polish. Thus, nail clip 10 reduces one's skinexposure to nail polish remover and reduces the time it takes to removenail polish.

As mentioned above, the nail clip of the present invention will be usedwith some type of pad that can absorb a liquid nail polish remover. Twosuch examples of pads are illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2Aillustrates a shaped pad 80 that mimics the general nail shape and ismade from an absorbent material. FIG. 2B illustrates a sleeve 82 ofabsorbent material. Sleeve 82 is open at either end 82A/82B so that itcan readily slide onto the tip of a finger or toe after being soakedwith a liquid nail polish remover. Sleeve 82 could be cut from a long,continuous tubular “strip” so that a user could size sleeve 82 asneeded.

In operation, a nail-polish-remover-soaked pad 80 or sleeve 82 ispositioned on a nail region. The finger grips 24/44 are squeezedtogether (against the bias of spring element 60) as nail clip 10 ispositioned over the nail region with the underside of the finger/toeresting on bed 22/ramp 30. Finger grips 24/44 are slowly released suchthat cap region 42 is biased towards bed 22 (by spring element 60) tothereby encase the pad or sleeve placed on the nail region. The slots 28in posts 26 in combination with spring element 60 allow top 40 to bewiggled up-and-down thereby ensuring that the nail polish remover makesgood contact with all portions of the nail.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A-3B, another nail clip in accordance with thepresent invention is shown and is referenced generally by numeral 100.Nail clip 100 is similar to nail clip 10, but differs therefrom in twoaspects. First, bed 22 of nail clip 100 is the same length as its capregion 42 allowing nail clip 100 to be used for shorter toes. Second,lateral edges 42A/42B of cap region 42 do not extend past lateral edges22A/22B of bed 22 allowing nail clip 100 to fit comfortably between toesthat are close together.

The advantages of the present invention are numerous. The nail clip willsimplify and improve the nail polish removal process for both salonworkers and the do-it-yourselfer. The nail clip properly positions thetip of a finger/toe for optimal contact with a remover-soaked pad whilealso retaining the heat of reaction. This will reduce the time it takesto remove even long-lasting nail polish/art while simultaneouslyreducing one's exposure to toxic nail polish remover. The nail clip isreusable thereby making it cost effective and environmentally friendly.

Although the invention has been described relative to a specificembodiment thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications thatwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of theabove teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scopeof the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than asspecifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A nail clip, comprising: a base defining an arcuately-shaped bed, afirst finger grip coupled to said bed, opposing slotted posts coupled tosaid base and extending therefrom where said bed meets said first fingergrip, and a ramp disposed in said bed, said ramp extending from anoutboard end of said bed to said first finger grip, said ramp increasingin thickness with distance from said outboard end; a top defining anarcuately-shaped cap, a second finger grip coupled to said cap, andopposing support posts coupled to said cap and extending therefrom wheresaid cap meets said second finger grip, each of said support postsincluding a hinge pin extending therefrom for engagement with one ofsaid slotted posts wherein said base and said cap can be moved towardsand away from one another; and a spring element disposed between saidbase and said cap for biasing said first finger grip away from saidsecond finger grip.
 2. A nail clip as in claim 1, wherein said thicknessof said bed increases linearly.
 3. A nail clip as in claim 1, whereinsaid spring element is coupled to said first finger grip and said secondfinger grip.
 4. A nail clip as in claim 1, wherein said spring elementcomprises a leaf spring.
 5. A nail clip as in claim 1, wherein saidspring element comprises a leaf spring coupled to said first finger gripand said second finger grip.
 6. A nail clip as in claim 1, wherein saidbase comprises a monolithic structure.
 7. A nail clip as in claim 1,wherein said top comprises a monolithic structure.
 8. A nail clip,comprising: a base defining an arcuately-shaped bed, a first finger gripcoupled to said bed, opposing slotted posts coupled to said base andextending therefrom where said bed meets said first finger grip, and aramp disposed in said bed, said ramp extending from an outboard end ofsaid bed to said first finger grip, said ramp increasing in thicknesswith distance from said outboard end; a top defining an arcuately-shapedcap having an outboard end, a second finger grip coupled to said cap,and opposing support posts coupled to said cap and extending therefromwhere said cap meets said second finger grip, each of said support postsincluding a hinge pin extending therefrom for engagement with one ofsaid slotted posts wherein said base and said cap can be moved towardsand away from one another, and wherein said bed and said cap oppose oneanother with said outboard end of said bed extending beyond saidoutboard end of said cap; and a spring element disposed between saidbase and said cap for biasing said first finger grip away from saidsecond finger grip.
 9. A nail clip as in claim 8, wherein said thicknessof said bed increases linearly.
 10. A nail clip as in claim 8, whereinsaid spring element is coupled to said first finger grip and said secondfinger grip.
 11. A nail clip as in claim 8, wherein said spring elementcomprises a leaf spring.
 12. A nail clip as in claim 8, wherein saidspring element comprises a leaf spring coupled to said first finger gripand said second finger grip.
 13. A nail clip as in claim 8, wherein saidbase comprises a monolithic structure.
 14. A nail clip as in claim 8,wherein said top comprises a monolithic structure.
 15. A nail clip as inclaim 8, wherein a distance between lateral edges of said cap is greaterthan a distance between lateral edges of said bed.
 16. A nail clip,comprising: a base defining an arcuately-shaped bed having lateraledges, a first finger grip coupled to said bed, opposing slotted postscoupled to said base and extending therefrom where said bed meets saidfirst finger grip, and a ramp disposed in said bed, said ramp extendingfrom an outboard end of said bed to said first finger grip, said rampincreasing in thickness with distance from said outboard end; a topdefining an arcuately-shaped cap having lateral edges, a second fingergrip coupled to said cap, and opposing support posts coupled to said capand extending therefrom where said cap meets said second finger grip,each of said support posts including a hinge pin extending therefrom forengagement with one of said slotted posts wherein said base and said capcan be moved towards and away from one another, and wherein a distancebetween said lateral edges of said cap is greater than a distancebetween said lateral edges of said bed; and a spring element disposedbetween said base and said cap for biasing said first finger grip awayfrom said second finger grip.
 17. A nail clip as in claim 16, whereinsaid thickness of said bed increases linearly.
 18. A nail clip as inclaim 16, wherein said spring element is coupled to said first fingergrip and said second finger grip.
 19. A nail clip as in claim 16,wherein said spring element comprises a leaf spring.
 20. A nail clip asin claim 16, wherein said spring element comprises a leaf spring coupledto said first finger grip and said second finger grip.
 21. A nail clipas in claim 16, wherein said base comprises a monolithic structure. 22.A nail clip as in claim 16, wherein said top comprises a monolithicstructure.
 23. A nail clip as in claim 16, wherein said bed and said capoppose one another with said outboard end of said bed extending beyondan outboard end of said cap.